YOUR PRECAST CONCRETE SPECIALIST
IN THIS ISSUE:
Twinstar Precast –complete quality concrete products
Precast specialties
Disruptive technologies
CO2-infused concrete
The impairments to our fundamental infrastructure affect the construction sector – and its concrete industry – with particular force. Now that the depth of political criminality hobbling SA’s electricity infrastructure comes into clearer focus almost daily, preparing for the worst is a natural, smart response.
It is also a response embedded with personal and collective anger towards the individuals and party forces still committing this violence on the very structures entrusted to them for a better future. The astonishing level of this betrayal displays a greed more self-serving than any of us could have imagined. Now that we are experiencing its results, we are also seeing what has likely been visible all along. And in having failed to see what we could not imagine, our anger is the power we can use for the commission of creation. It will take imagination to convert the anger of “preparing for the worst” into the force driving better solutions to our power systems – electrical and political.
The carbon challenge need not be positioned as an additional challenge. It conveniently dovetails the same one. Imagining better, life-affirming and sustainable solutions requires and forges new partnerships for new solutions, using often unfamiliar ideas and environments. This is especially so in the precast concrete industry.
Opportunities in new value chains such as solar and wind power, residential offgrid generation and storage installations, concrete 3D printing services and components can open up a reinvigorated thirst for the new. Not all at once and not alone, but as something we can do together – and do well. Let us forge the South African way.
4 Twinstar Precast:
Twinstar Precast is truly a one-of-a kind company. Quality, bespoke precast concrete pieces, elements and parts have all taken on a life of their own, through development, planning, creation, delivery and assembly.
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Twinstar Precast in Olifantsfontein famously manufactures all types of custom-designed and cast products for civil engineering contractors and is specially geared to manufacture concrete components of exceptional complexity and size.
The company is relied upon not only for custom projects: its imprinting and massproduction capabilities also make it the supplier of choice for many local councils and municipalities. From manhole covers to windfarm infrastructure and bicycle racks, Twinstar Precast does it all – and to an unfailingly high standard.
As the company’s founder and director Annemerie Coetzee points out: “We strive to be a problem-solver and are solutiondriven in all aspects of precast concrete. We’re able to manufacture products ranging in weight from 2kg-6 tons quickly and affordably.”
Stormwater made to measure
One of its most successful products, for both
local government and private developers, is stormwater-related structures – and much of this success is due to its ability to design and deliver to almost any specification.
Twinstar Precast will cast stormwaterrelated slabs to customers’ requirements. Its range is suitable for:
• Light-duty, medium-duty, heavy-duty or extra-heavy-duty applications.
• Shopping centres, distribution centres, parking areas, residential areas and much more.
• Casting in cast-iron gratings and polymer gratings.
• Slabs for junction boxes, which can be made in any shape and size.
Twinstar offers a range of stormwater channels, including half-round, equal-leg or U-channels, taper-chute channels and other stormwater drainage channels. Channels can be cast for use as open channels or with angle iron inserts to accommodate grids.
(Left,
specification and
U-channels
almost
Equal-leg or U-channels can be cast to height and widths which are custom-made to suit customers’ site conditions and flow capacity. They range from light-duty to medium-duty, heavy-duty and extra-heavyduty to suit all vehicle loads.
Water channels and V-drains –ready now
Twinstar manufactures:
• D7 channels 750mm long 320 x 88.
• D9 channels 500mm long 450 x 180.
Standard V-drains 1 200mm wide x 1 000mm long are ready-stocked items and quotations on any specification will be determined by the size required and the calculated weight.
Coetzee sums up the Twinstar commitment: “We’ve deliberately kept our operations sized for the work we deliver. We make our own moulds and have one truck with an excellent crane that enables us to deliver large concrete products in segments, to the great advantage of our
clients. We guide the placement and fitting of the product.”
Hospitals, shopping malls, windfarms and roads
Twinstar Precast is positioned to cater for an extremely diverse range of industries. The company manufactures manhole covers and frames, as well as stormwater gratings. These components can be bought as loose items or cast into the required precast concrete slabs. It is also a trusted supplier of various standard and nonstandard kerb inlet slabs, manufactured to council and road agency specifications, as well as pedestrian ramp blocks.
Twinstar Precast’s ability to deliver to the highly specified components essential to building much-needed windfarms has resulted in a comprehensive list of South Africa’s existing installations, including Noupoort, Loeriesfontein, Oyster Bay, Kangnas, Springbok in the Northern Cape, Paardekraal in Ceres, Karusa and Soetwater in Sutherland, Khobab in Loeriesfontein, Gibson Bay, Nxuba in Bedford, Eastern Cape and Garob in Copperton.
“We strive to be a problem-solver and are solutiondriven in all aspects of precast concrete. We’re able to manufacture products ranging in weight from 2kg-6 tons quickly and affordably.”(Above): Twinstar’s specialty inlet slabs for the Johannesburg Roads Agency. (Above): Twinstar Precast is an experienced manufacturer of windfarm precast necessities, including plinths and electrical combiner boxes.
The damage to infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) as a result of flooding has certainly taken its toll. Queen Nandi Drive was no exception, with damage that included the main sewer line. Rocla was commissioned to supply rolling joint (RJ) spigot and socket pipes with dolomite aggregate for the repairs to the main sewer line.
“Rocla supplied 41,48m of 1 350mm RJ spigot and socket pipes with a 19mm layer and dolomite aggregate to the project to repair the main sewer line,” says Ritesh Singh, sales consultant for Rocla based in Newcastle, KZN.
“Rocla’s well known for its expertise when it comes to concrete infrastructure products and it was this word-of-mouth
recommendation that put our products on site. The RJ spigot and socket pipes, which are always used in sewer systems, were manufactured at our Roodepoort, Johannesburg factory, which had sufficient stock to meet the project’s requirements and were delivered to deadline in KZN.”
Rocla offers a range of infrastructure concrete products such as stormwater pipes, culverts, jacking pipes, concrete poles, manholes and sanitation units, many of which have won industry awards for their quality, innovative design and longevity. Rocla’s technical engineers are also available to assess what product will provide the solution for any infrastructure requirement and, if needed, can customdesign for a client.
“Rocla’s well known for its expertise when it comes to concrete infrastructure products and it was this word-of-mouth recommendation that put our products on site.”
With signs that government’s infrastructure spending may ramp up in coming years, it is vital that affected communities and others in need of the services benefit and that the economy has a foundation on which to grow. This means that civil engineering projects must be allowed to proceed without criminal disruption. The Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI) is helping to ensure that this happens.
After years of increasing intimidation and violence on large and small construction sites around South Africa, stakeholders are starting to work together to roll back this scourge.
These hopeful signs are important to the future of the country’s economy, as government prepares to invest in long-awaited public infrastructure. According to Lindie Fourie, operations manager at the BCCEI, it is encouraging to see growing collaboration among public-sector organisations, business groups and other key participants.
“This year has seen the BCCEI develop and implement an action plan to serve its members, who’re employers and employees in civil engineering,” says Fourie. “This plan’s focused on making our worksites safe and productive again, after years of facing brazen intimidation, violence and theft.”
She highlights that civil engineering contractors prioritise the safety of their staff and their contractual obligations to clients. With the rise of construction mafias and general crime in the country, many worksites have been forced to meet criminal demands or face life-threatening consequences.
“The situation in many areas is so serious that workers and employers are too scared to report the criminals to the police for fear of reprisal,” she explains. “The police, in turn, say they can’t act without a docket. With our new communication
channels, we’re exploring ways that incidents can be reported without jeopardising people’s safety.”
Fourie argues that trade unions and employer bodies are at the heart of the BCCEI and these groups work together to protect lives and jobs. This is the basis for growing SA’s economy so that standards of living can improve.
“This is why the BCCEI can’t ignore the devastating impact of criminality on construction sites, as it’s destroying jobs and preventing growth,” she says.
The BCCEI’s action plan dovetails with other national initiatives to rescue the economy from construction mafias and other criminal activity. Central to these efforts is the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure’s Anti-Corruption Forum.
The BCCEI’s work has opened the door to collaboration with policing authorities, local government and other business bodies who are fighting crime.
“We’ve been encouraged by the willingness of many of these stakeholders to join hands and push back against those elements who’re eroding our industry and future,” says Fourie. “Of course, it’s still
early days in terms of getting results and we realise how difficult the process is going to be. However, a start has been made and everyone really needs to step forward now.”
She notes that the BCCEI has received compliments on its action plan, with stakeholders congratulating it on helping to facilitate stability at disrupted worksites.
“We urge all organisations, companies and communities who’re facing obstacles or threats to the successful execution of civil engineering projects to contact the BCCEI,” she says.
At the lavish annual “World’s Best” International Property Awards ceremony held at the iconic Savoy Hotel in London on 2 February, the Waterfall Management Company was awarded Best International Mixed-Use Development 2022/23 for Waterfall City.
This is the fifth time in six years that Waterfall City has beaten formidable competitors to claim the top spot. This year’s nominees included mixed-use developments in Cyprus, Brazil, Qatar and Hong Kong. Entries were judged based on criteria ranging from design layout and quality, architecture, services and security to innovation, originality, marketing and commitment to sustainability.
Over and above scooping this prestigious international accolade, Waterfall City also garnered the regional title of Best MixedUse Development in Africa for the eighth time. This follows its recent accolade of being named Best Mixed-Use Development in South Africa, also for the eighth time, in October 2022 in Dubai.
Over the past year, a panel of over 90
independent expert judges studied and assessed more than 2 000 entries from 126 countries to select the World’s Best winners.
Willie Vos, CEO of the Waterfall Management Company, says: “Building a world-class smart city of this nature was no small feat. It took a concerted and cohesive effort, with all role-players and stakeholders moving in unison in the same direction to realise the vision and honour the values that are fundamental to every aspect of Waterfall City. Reclaiming the title of Best International Mixed-Use Development is a just reward for our continued efforts and something of which we’re extremely proud. We’re honoured to receive this international recognition, which once again puts Waterfall City and South African property development on the world stage.”
Not even half complete yet, Waterfall City still has over 1,6 million square metres of gross leasable area (GLA) to be developed, ensuring future sustainable growth of this state-of-the-art smart city. By completion, it is estimated that it will combine 28 000 residential units
housing approximately 80 000 people, with about 2,5 million square metres of GLA for commercial and office space, accommodating a further 95 000 people. The current estimated developed value of Waterfall City is approximately R100 billion. While 24 000 people are presently employed on the development, it will have created close to 85 000 job opportunities upon completion. Waterfall City, in its entirety, is also already responsible for contributing over R700 million in rates and taxes per year towards the City of Johannesburg. This figure is expected to reach over R1,5 billion per annum by the time the development is completed.
“Waterfall City also garnered the regional title of Best Mixed-Use Development in Africa for the eighth time.”
Co-located with:
27 - 29 JUNE 2023
GALLAGHER CONVENTION CENTRE, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AfRICA
Get ready to experience the ultimate construction event of the year. Big 5 Construct Southern Africa is celebrating its 10th edition and you’re invited!
Big 5 Construct Southern Africa is a significant contributor to the economic growth, recovery and transformation within Southern Africa’s construction industry with a special focus on facilitating buyer/seller face-to-face connections and showcasing the most innovative solutions for the region.
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DISCoVEr the most innovative products and technologies available
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Simply scan the QR code with your phone’s camera app
Co-located with: SOUTHERN AFRICA SOUTHERN AFRICA
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The outlook for South Africa’s struggling construction industry remains uncertain, hovering between the massive infrastructure expenditure figures being publicly mooted and the state’s seeming inability to implement its economic recovery plans.
At this year’s AfriSam Budget Breakdown event, now a regular highlight on the construction sector calendar, Econometrix economist Dr Azar Jammine pointed to raised expenditure targets for infrastructure. He said he was encouraged by the growth from R812 billion to R903 billion in the estimates for public-sector infrastructure expenditure from the 2023/242025/26 financial years.
“These numbers are so big that if we were to see their full implementation, it would be a game-changer not only for the construction sector, but for the entire economy,” said Jammine. “Where the real hope lies is in government getting its act together and starting to implement its capital projects.”
He noted the importance of how Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana dealt with plans to restructure Eskom’s capital debt, as any worsening of the energy crisis could undermine the economic predictions in the budget speech. If load-shedding were exacerbated, he said, the country might not even reach its meagre 0,9% growth target for the year. In such a scenario, government’s own spending plans would be further dampened by lower tax revenues.
The question he posed was whether there was the political will within the governing party to allow Eskom’s debt restructuring to take place. Such a move was inevitable, however, as he foresaw a complete realignment of politics in the general election of 2024.
Construction still a high-potential sector
Focusing on the construction industry, Jammine once again painted a sobering picture – but highlighted the sector’s potential to deliver economic benefits. He reminded his audience that construction provided 7,8% of the country’s employment,
even though it made up just 2,6% of GDP.
“Implementing government’s infrastructure projects would spark massive job creation and the economy would grow by 5-6% a year,” he said, adding that business confidence among building contractors had continued to deteriorate, although last year this deterioration had slowed.
Commenting on Jammine’s presentation, Richard Tomes, sales and marketing executive at AfriSam, said: “Although the operating environment remains challenging, one of the positive elements AfriSam has noted is the increase in the infrastructure spend budget allocation. We remain hopeful that the implementation of the infrastructure projects will gain momentum and start delivering true value for the construction industry.”
Considerable over-capacity was still evident in the non-residential building sector, especially commercial office and retail space, said Tomes. The value of nonresidential building plans passed averaged just about R1 billion in value, compared with R3 billion in 2016. The brief recovery in the residential building sector – as homeowners renovated for home offices – had tailed off. Cement demand had suffered negative growth in 2022 and was expected to improve only marginally over the next few years, he added.
Tomes explained that the aim of the AfriSam Budget Breakdown was to make valuable information available to the various stakeholders that interacted with the company. “With many of us operating in the same industry, material matters such as the external environment in which we operate relate not only to AfriSam, but also to our stakeholders’ businesses. We hope that the information being shared at an event like this will give them insights into some of the decisions that AfriSam takes, as well as enable decision-making in their own organisations to ensure their future success and sustainability,” he said.
The World Cement Association (WCA) announced recently that it has appointed three new directors: Fabien Charbonnel, CEO of Cem’In’Eu, Xu Gang, chairperson of Maweni Limestone, VP and head of the overseas area of the Huaxin Cement Co Ltd, parent company of Maweni Limestone, and Kevin Lunney, COO of Mannok Holdings DAC. The appointments were agreed by a unanimous vote at a WCA general assembly meeting.
In addition, both Mohammed Ali Al-Garni, CEO of Saudi Cement and Roland van Wijnen, CEO of PPC Ltd, were reelected to the board of directors.
The WCA also announced the resignation of two longstanding directors, Vincent Lefebvre, founder and executive chairperson of Cem’In’Eu and Mahendra Singhi, MD and CEO of Dalmia Cement, who joined the WCA board in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Both their knowledge and experience of the industry have been crucial to the professional running and achievements of the association.
“I’m pleased to welcome Fabien Charbonnel, Xu Gang and Kevin Lunney to the board and I look forward to their added support in guiding both our members and industry as we tackle the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead,” said Ian Riley, the WCA’s CEO.
During his address to the general assembly attendees, WCA president Song Zhiping said: “In 2023, the world economy and the industry will encounter challenges and uncertainties in pursuit of development. In the face of intricate and complex circumstances, the WCA will continue to contribute its strength and wisdom, provide support and services to its members and stakeholders, and promote the sustainable development of the industry.”
Additional agenda highlights included a welcome address from Cui Xingtai, chairperson of the WCA, a report on the association’s 2022 activities, updates from its committees and networks, and presentations on the outlook for the cement industry in 2023 from Emir Adiguzel, WCA director.
•
Business premises are one of the first places companies take stock of when assessing their electricity usage and its optimisation – and rightly so. Approximately 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 70% of energy consumption are attributed to buildings. Moreover, it is estimated that 30% of energy is wasted in buildings.
Coupled with our country’s muchtalked-about volatile grid, buildings must become smarter. Also, as it becomes smarter, through the upgrade of existing premises and the development of new, smarter buildings, we will steadily see the dawn of a new era: the smart city.
If a smart building is a collection of disparate systems seamlessly working together, a smart city is a microcosm of disparate environments, including smart buildings and the grid, operating as one organism.
Cities define a civilisation, which comprises the human element. Thus, today’s push for a smart building to meet these people-centric objectives, such as well-being and social cohesion, will form a key part of the transformative journey to a smart city.
However, for us to create smart cities, we must lay the building blocks – and these begin with buildings. A holistic building management system (BMS) is the key to a smart building strategy, as it overcomes many of the struggles that both service providers and owners face when establishing a smart building.
At Schneider Electric, our BMS offering is a collaborative Internet of Things solution that features a scalable, secure and global architecture to make
buildings of all types smart.
It connects hardware, software and services over a digital IP backbone to help service providers and owners maximise building efficiency, optimise comfort and productivity, and increase building value.
If there is one driver that is a vital part of our journey towards smart cities, it is electricity. The future relies on our ability to provide resilient power to the infrastructure within a smart city.
“The grid’s ability to respond actively to surges in energy demand and supply will be a key enabler of realising our smart city vision. However, this also remains one of our biggest challenges in South Africa, particularly with technology’s reliance on electricity.”
The grid’s ability to respond actively to surges in energy demand and supply will be a key enabler of realising our smart city vision. However, this also remains one of our biggest challenges in South Africa, particularly with technology’s reliance on electricity.
Condition-based monitoring systems, for example, can lead to selfhealing designs, which will in turn enable modernisation of the power system to an automated microgrid. Furthermore, smart grids will enable consumers to readily gain access to their energy data. This will enable them to make autonomous decisions about their energy consumption.
To some, smart cities still sound like figments of civilisations in science fiction stories. Not quite. Already we are seeing developments such as Steyn City emerging as bona fide mini-smart cities which feature entirely self-contained resources such as generators that protect residents and tenants against power disruptions.
In SA, smart cities will likely be built on a smaller scale, but the adage “Lead by example” will undoubtedly drive the country towards implementing smart buildings that eventually result in bigger smart cities.
As a country, we need to keep investing and believing in this future, with leadership in both public and private sectors forging the way towards smart buildings and cities built on sustainability, resiliency, hyper-efficiency and people-centricity.
Sustainability based on best practice to ensure that a finished concrete product utilises resources as efficiently as possible is a common theme of Cement & Concrete SA’s School of Concrete Technology (SCT) courses for 2023.
In his foreword to the school’s training programme for next year, senior lecturer John Roxburgh says SCT realises how critical it is to produce quality concrete that meets all strength and durability requirements. “Our variety of courses caters for different needs required by a broad spectrum of students,” he explains. “Our slogan for the year is: ‘Not without concrete!’ It’s a theme that’s run through our lecture courses for many years, so for 2023, we’ve made it our official slogan.”
The 2023 training programme endorses the slogan by featuring photos of images directly linked to concrete, such as the tallest building in the world, the Old Kingdom pyramids, the longest bridge and longest tunnel in the world. Others are more abstract, such as the launching of the Saturn V rocket in the Apollo 11 mission, symbolic buildings
of past empires and happenings, as well as huge stadia for world sporting events. “None of these would have been built or existed without concrete. All the images represent something big or amazing in the history of mankind. Our civilisation’s been built on the back of concrete. It’s the often unfairly maligned, quiet, solid facilitator of all the things we do in the world today,” adds Roxburgh.
Design and Construction”. All the courses are presented live in Midrand, with some also scheduled for Durban and Cape Town. Furthermore, on an advanced level, the UK Institute of Concrete Technology’s two highly-respected courses, “Concrete Technology and Construction General Principles and Practical Application” and the pinnacle of concrete training, “Advanced Concrete Technology (ACT)”, will continue this year. Roxburgh says the ACT modularised self-study programme was successfully launched in 2022 and several delegates have already joined it.
Continuing professional development points are awarded for selected courses.
The SCT 2023 training orogramme can be downloaded at: www.cemcon-sa.org.za or, for further information about the SCT courses, tel: 011 315 0300.
As usual, the SCT curriculum for 2023 covers 10 standard courses ranging from basic topics such as an “Introduction to Concrete” to more specialised training on various topics, including “Concrete for Industrial Floors” and “Concrete Road
Cement and Concrete SA (CCSA) has published a third and updated version of its highly respected manual, Concrete Road Construction, authored by Bryan Perrie and Dennis Rossman, two of South Africa’s leading authorities on concrete pavements.
Perrie is the CEO of CCSA, while Rossman is a retired SA National Roads Agency (SANRAL) executive.
Originally published by a CCSA predecessor, the Cement & Concrete Institute, Concrete Road Construction has for the past 13 years proved invaluable to contractors and supervisory staff engaged in constructing concrete roads using the most modern slipform paver or rudimentary equipment for low-volume township streets.
In the new edition, the revisions mainly deal with the new Committee of Transport Officials (COTO) Standard Specifications for Road- and Bridgeworks for SA Road Authorities, as well as updates on all standards and specifications applicable to suppliers of materials and services to national and provincial road agencies, as well as metros and municipalities.
The new COTO Standard Specifications for Road- and Bridgeworks for SA Road Authorities were approved as a draft standard in October 2020 and have now officially replaced the 1998 Standard Specifications for Road- and Bridgeworks for State Road Authorities by the Committee of Land & Transport Officials (COLTO).
In March 2021, SANRAL had
already made the new COTO Standard Specifications mandatory for use in its procurement documents.
Among the important points covered by Perrie and Rossman in the updated CCSA publication are “Maintenance and Repair of Concrete Layers”, for which the structure is now completely different from the old COLTO specifications in terms of both materials and construction techniques. The revised handbook will also familiarise practitioners with the new specifications and highlight significant changes between these and the old ones, as well as explaining the new COTA regulations regarding maintenance and repair.
Hanlie Turner, business development manager of CCSA, says the revised manual will be welcomed by all practitioners involved in road pavement design, investigation, construction and testing. “Included among these are road authorities, consulting engineers, compilers of procurement documentation, contractors, tendering and pricing departments, and road laboratories. Commercial suppliers of concrete and concrete materials will also gain knowledge of the new material specifications,” she says.
For further information and details on acquiring the publication, visit: https:// cemcon-sa.org.za/information-hub/booksfor-sale/. CCSA members can order copies directly from info@cemcon-sa.org.za, or visit the Information Centre, Block D, Waterfall Park, Bekker Road, Midrand.
The entire South African cement and concrete industry is threatened by multiple challenges of economic decline, the crisis in the construction industry, cheap imports and environmentrelated issues. Some 35 000 local jobs are on the line, together with billions of rands’ worth of investments in the sector’s long value chain. A key global challenge faced by the sector is its significant carbon footprint.
The climate change challenge to the industry’s sustainability lies in the fact that cement manufacturing emits significant quantities of greenhouse gases which impact SA’s decarbonisation commitments as it moves towards net zero, within the framework of the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan.
“As responsible stakeholders committed to playing our part in SA achieving its nationally
determined commitments in terms of the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change, the local cement sector has committed itself to ‘Vision: Net Zero Carbon’ by 2050,” says Cement and Concrete SA CEO Bryan Perrie.
“This includes an undertaking to decarbonise in accordance with the 1,5˚C global temperature increase pathway in the Paris Agreement, which was reinforced at COP26 held in Glasgow, Scotland, last year. The local cement and concrete sector has set key milestones for 2030 in accordance with SA’s technical reporting guidelines and in line with the InterGovernmental Panel on Climate Change reporting framework.”
The industry has been under huge pressure due to a toxic cocktail of factors. In addition to the general economic downturn and decline in investor confidence, the sector was hit hard by the Covid-19 lockdown. The construction industry is in crisis and is now confronted by the threat of construction mafias which have sprung up across the country and have a direct impact on the cement and concrete sector.
Local cement production capacity is around 20 million tons, but is currently producing just 12 million tons. In excess of one million tons of cement imports – the
(Above right): Electrical sub-stations in several South African provinces have been neglected, with oil going unchecked and becoming fire hazards.
equivalent of an entire cement plant – enters our market annually.
Perrie states that the cement and concrete sector in SA is steadfast in its carbon greenhouse gas reduction commitment. “We’re absolutely committed to our Vision: Net Zero Carbon by 2050 and will measure this regularly against a series of time-bound metrics,” he says.
“With so much at stake, the sector’s in discussions with the SA International Trade Administration Commission and the Department of Trade, Industry & Competition to take positive action in order to prioritise the local cement industry. However, while we remain hopeful of a boost from the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium, this hasn’t yet materialised,” he adds.
Newly published government regulations do not require localisation of products such as cement and concrete, leaving this to individual departments and state-owned enterprises. Thus, Perrie urges that “more is required to secure the sustainability of a sector impacted by both the global pandemic and a decade-long slow-down in SA’s planned infrastructure build-out”.
BENCH AND TABLE
HOLLOW
AIRBRICK
CAP
WALLING
PAN
Construction has been completed on a 210M l reservoir in Gauteng, where good use was made of innovative additives to ensure the best concrete results. CHRYSO Southern Africa assisted the contractors to achieve good concrete consistency, reduced water content and minimal shrinkage. Its leading admixtures also helped reduce the permeability of the concrete in the floor, walls and columns.
There was no room for error in the construction of the extremely large cylindrical post-tensioned concrete reservoir. Completed at the end of 2022, it is a key part of the Gauteng Department of Water & Sanitation’s service delivery improvements.
The scale of the concrete works on this reservoir project has been impressive, indicated by the 1 800m3 floor slab layer of 200mm thickness. This required the 35MPa concrete to be pumped in 13 sequenced pours of 250-360m3 each. The reservoir’s internal diameter of 154m is roughly the length of one-and-a-half
football fields. Inside are 272 round, reinforced 35MPa concrete columns, 600mm in diameter, to support the roof slab. The outer concrete walls are almost 12m high, reaching about three storeys. They taper from 1,1m at the base to 300mm at the top and comprise post-tensioned 45MPa concrete.
Included in the construction was a permeable groundwater drainage system comprising three layers of 15MPa no-fines concrete. The first layer comprised 8 000m 3 of no-fines concrete with a 50mm-thick layer of 9,5mm stone mix. This was followed by a 245mm layer of 19mm stone mix and then a 125mm layer of 26mm stone mix.
When a good consistency could not initially be achieved with these challenging mixes, CHRYSO® Easydrain was introduced. By adding 140g of this additive to each cubic metre of concrete, the issue was solved. CHRYSO® Easydrain mechanically and hydraulically binds the aggregates with a uniform cement paste coating. Once dried, the bonded aggregates will not loosen. The additive also fluidises the concrete, which helps with a homogeneous mix and improves curing to reduce the chances of cracking.
In all its concrete mix designs, the project has made use of CHRYSO® Plast Omega 178, a high-performance water-reducing plasticiser. It reduces the water content of each mix to 175l per cubic metre, while ensuring workability and strength. This admixture also
increases the slump – or flow – without affecting the water content of the mix.
All the concrete in the reservoir’s floor slab, wall footing and roof slab was augmented with CHRYSO® Serenis shrinkage inhibitor to reduce shrinkage of the concrete. CHRYSO® CWA 10 crystalline integral waterproofing agent was also used to reduce the permeability of the concrete in the floor, walls and columns. When moisture is present, this agent creates a reaction, forming long, narrow crystals that fill and plug the pores, capillaries and hairline cracks of the concrete mass. These crystals prevent water penetration into the concrete, protecting it from corrosive groundwater and chemicals.
“Completed at the end of 2022, it is a key part of the Gauteng Department of Water & Sanitation’s service delivery improvements.”(Below): The post-tensioned outer concrete walls are almost three storeys high. (Above): The largest cylindrical post-tensioned concrete reservoir in the country.
Construction of the Msikaba Bridge near Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape – which started in earnest in late 2019 – is advancing steadily and the project should be complete in the last quarter of 2024.
The bridge, which will span the 198m-deep Msikaba River Gorge, forms part of the N2 Wild Coast project of the SA National Roads Agency Ltd (SANRAL) and is being built by the CME-JV, a partnership between Concor and MECSA, Grade 9CE South African construction companies.
The bridge’s four huge anchor blocks are now at a very advanced stage of construction. Over 50% of the concrete for the bridge’s two 127m-high pylons has been poured and the complex deck construction phase of the project is about to begin.
The project is also maintaining its impeccable safety record. It recorded 3 million lost time injury-free hours on 21 October 2022 – a major achievement, given the challenges that construction presents, including working at both extreme heights and at depths of as much as 20m in excavations.
The project director, Concor’s Laurence Savage, says the cable-stayed bridge is probably the most complex structure of its type ever to be built in SA and, indeed, in Africa.
“At 580m in length, it will be the longest cable-stayed bridge – in terms of main span – on the continent. At 192m above the floor of the gorge, it will also rank as one of the highest bridges in Africa, exceeded only by the Bloukrans Bridge at 216m and, once it’s completed, Mtentu Bridge at 223m,” he says.
The bridge is being built from both the north and south banks of the gorge and comprises two identical “halves”, each spanning 290m, which will meet midway over the gorge. Each half is supported by 17 pairs of cables attached to 127m-high inverted, Y-shaped concrete pylons, one on either side of the gorge. The pylons are back-stayed into the anchor blocks by 34 pairs of cables – 17 on each gorge side.
With the anchor blocks approaching completion and the legs of the pylons already complete the construction of the circular pylon spires and the composite steel and concrete bridge deck can proceed.
The spires taper from a diameter of 6m at the point where they start (the top of the inclined legs) to 4,5m at their full height. To construct
them, the JV is utilising a custom-designed, four-level, 15m-high climbing formwork system. The pylons are both expected to be fully complete in September this year.
The first 24m of the deck on either side of the gorge is a reinforced concrete ladder which is cast into the first steel deck segment, known as deck segment zero (DS0). Because of crane access restrictions, the DS0 will be slid laterally into place before reinforcement is installed and concreted. The remaining segments, DS1-DS17 on either side, will be installed using the free cantilevering method, with each segment being installed in sequence.
To place the deck segments in position, two gantries will be used, one on either side of the gorge. These are large 160-ton assemblies, each roughly the size of a tennis court in surface area. The construction team will launch the deck segments – which have an average weight of 84 tons – out over the gorge and then rotate them 90˚, lower, align with and connect them to the previous segments. Closure at the mid-point of the deck is expected to be achieved in the second quarter of 2024.
An interesting aspect of the project is the close ties which have been forged by the CME-JV with local communities. “We’ve worked very hard – and at considerable cost – to ensure that the project has the full support of surrounding communities and that the benefits stemming from construction are localised to the greatest extent possible,” says Savage.
Not only has the CME-JV recruited about 70% of its workforce locally – all of whom have received intensive on-site training – but it has identified and supported about 40 local SMMEs which have been appointed as subcontractors and suppliers.
“The project director, Concor’s Laurence Savage, says the cable-stayed bridge – which he describes as ‘iconic’ – is probably the most complex structure of its type ever to be built in SA and, indeed, in Africa.”(Left): The steel fixing on the bifurcation lift progressing in October 2022.
A new ash disposal facility (ADF) at Kendal Power Station is clearing the way for many more years of power generation.
A joint venture between Concor and Lubocon Civils is tackling this demanding project, which is applying environmentally compliant solutions. Concor’s project manager Pierre van Vuuren highlights that safeguarding water quality is a key priority behind the project design.
Eskom’s Kendal power station near Ogies is having its ADF expanded in this multi-faceted joint venture.
The project, says Van Vuuren, will ensure that the new ADF is environmentally compliant with South Africa’s environmental regulations. The continuous ADF will store the ash generated by Kendal until 2032.
“At the centre of the project is the lined ADF, which will ensure that there’s no contamination of groundwater,” says Van Vuuren. “The various infrastructural elements of this contract all ensure that polluted water’s kept separate from clean water and that water can be recycled to reduce consumption.”
Complex draining system
The new ADF is being constructed on a 65ha footprint adjacent to the existing ADF, which is reaching the end of its operational life. The design includes a sub-soil drainage system which allows clean groundwater to run into a clean water dam.
“An impermeable liner is placed over the sub-soil drainage system, while another drainage system is installed above the liner,” explains Van Vuuren. “The upper system allows water contaminated by ash to be channelled to the pollution
control dam, from where it can be used for dust suppression.”
The clean water channelled into the dam is returned to the power station for re-use. Constructing the new ADF has also required the diversion of an existing natural stream, leading to a new 3km channel being built.
Stream diversion
“The stream diversion will withstand a once-in-100-year flood and has been
lined with hand-filled gabion baskets to prevent erosion,” adds Van Vuuren. “The 30m-wide stream contains over 4 100 of these baskets, each 1m high, 1m wide and 3m long.”
120 workers + 19 months
To complete this mammoth task, about 120 workers were involved over a period of 19 months, packing 42 000 tons of gabion rock into the wire baskets. More than 2 000 Reno mattresses were also used. The project has employed hundreds of local residents and sourced extensively from local suppliers. It has also trained people in a range of construction-related activities, adding significantly to
skills base
“To complete this mammoth task, about 120 workers were involved over a period of 19 months, packing 42 000 tons of gabion rock into the wire baskets.”the in the region. (Above): Existing ash dump facility (left) separated by V-drains and access road from the farm dam (right). (Above): Silt trap 1 (right) and silt trap 2 (upper right) being constructed. (Below): Pierre van Vuuren, project manager at Concor.
Leading consulting engineering and infrastructure advisory firm Zutari has registered the first Green Star-rated hospital in South Africa. “With regard to sustainability, we have an excellent track record in green building, with over 100 registrations to date,” comments mechanical building services associate Willie Kotze.
When Rand Merchant Bank’s Pandemic Intervention & Relief Effort fund required assistance to boost the country’s critical care capacity during the Covid-19 pandemic, it turned to Zutari.
The consultancy assisted with heating,
ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) upgrades at Livingstone Hospital in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape and King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Zutari was also tasked with completely refurbishing the high-care unit (HCU) and intensive care unit (ICU) at Dr George Mukhari Hospital in Ga-Rankuwa, Gauteng.
At Livingstone, the installation was undertaken in an active Covid-19 ICU ward during hard lockdown. In contrast, at Dr George Mukhari, the ICU wards could be handed over for complete refurbishment.
Zutari collaborated with SM Maré & Associates Quantity Surveyors and principal agent Osmond Lange Architects
+ Planners at Dr George Mukhari. Its scope of work was structural, electrical electronics, wet services, fire engineering and HVAC.
The time-frame was April 2021 to the beginning of 2022, with the HCU and ICU refurbishments running in parallel. However, the hospital had to maintain its ICU capacity due to Covid-19, meaning this portion of the project was extended to September 2022.
Technical director Leon Esterhuizen, who has two decades’ experience in electrical engineering, explains that the refurbishment had to be designed in accordance with R158, the Department of Health’s specification for private hospitals.
“We carried out an assessment of the portion of the bulk infrastructure that supplied these wards to establish what was happening upstream,” he says. In the
end, this portion – along with the electrical installation of the wards – was replaced completely to ensure compliance.
Other requirements were special lighting to allow medical staff to visually identify patients’ conditions, such as a blueish colour indicating oxygen deprivation. The facility also had to remain fully functional, even during power disruptions.
Civil engineer Vincent Gieselbach says the refurbishment elevated a public-sector hospital to a private-sector level. “Building it up to that standard was the challenge,” he adds. Zutari quickly ascertained that the existing sewer and water mains required additional repairs.
In terms of fire engineering, in ICU and HCU facilities, critical patients must be evacuated in their beds by nursing staff or fire-fighting personnel in the event of a fire. Therefore, escape routes had to be widened to accommodate beds. In addition, the entire facility must contain the spread of fire and smoke.
The building was deemed to be non-compliant, as the x-ray and HCU units were connected via ceiling boards, which meant a new firewall had to be constructed. There were numerous ramps throughout the site due to the high number of level changes, which required careful consideration of fire door placement and operation.
There were also various challenges in terms of the wet services installation due to the age of the existing infrastructure. To ensure that plumbing installation of the two units was upgraded to modern standards, all new hot and cold water pipe materials, with a new central hot water generating plant to SANS-XA, were installed.
The wet services engineering team was co-ordinated with the other disciplines’ engineering teams to ensure there were no
“Healthcare is one of the most interesting and rewarding sectors in terms of engineering, as well as being essential to meet the healthcare needs of SA’s growing population.”(Above): Healthcare facilities place a high demand on resources compared with other buildings.
clashes. Another major challenge was the decades-old external reticulation, for which no as-built information was available, thus requiring a detailed assessment before work could commence.
Structural engineer OJ Ojayi says the main challenge was that the hospital remained functional during the refurbishment. “We had to pay close attention to where the existing services were located so that we didn’t disrupt them,” he explains. Trusses had to be checked structurally to ensure that they could accommodate extra loadings, such as a new ceiling and additional services, and reinforced where required.
“We had to try to re-use as much of the existing material as possible,” points out Ojayi. Instead of breaking down the entire structure and rebuilding it from the bottom up, Zutari came up with an elegant solution for lateral reinforcement of the brick walls by adding external fins. Another major challenge was the decades-old plant room, for which no as-built information was available, thus requiring a detailed assessment before work could commence.
HVAC was an important consideration regarding infection control via pressure cascading, air movement, humidity control, dilution and filtration, adds Kotze. No water cooling was opted for and no
ozone-depleting refrigerants were used, while heat pumps were selected, rather than resistance heating.
“Co-ordination between the extensive number of services was critical to provide easy access for future maintenance,” says Kotze. In addition, robust new systems provide simplified maintenance over the long term.
Despite the pandemic having subsided to manageable proportions, Kotze says that the healthcare sector presents major opportunities for Zutari’s specialised multi-disciplinary skills set, especially in HCU and ICU facilities. “This is one of the most interesting and rewarding sectors in terms of engineering, as well as being essential to meet the healthcare needs of SA’s growing population,” he observes.
“Instead of breaking down the entire structure and rebuilding it from the bottom up, Zutari came up with an elegant solution for lateral reinforcement of the brick walls by adding external fins.”(Above, from top): Leon Esterhuizen, technical director, Jack Huang, structural engineer, OJ Ojayi, structural engineer, Vincent Gieselbach, civil engineer and Willie Kotze, mechanical building services associate, all ofZutari. (Below): Dr George Mukhari Hospital before the refurbishment.
Afrimat’s Nkomati Anthracite mine in Mpumalanga officially opened the newly renovated and extended Steenbok Clinic, in partnership with the Mpumalanga Department of Health and the Department of Mineral Resources & Energy.
Stakeholders who attended the event included the Mpumalanga MEC for Health Sasekani Manzini, the executive mayor of Nkomazi Local Municipality Cllr PP Magagula, the Speaker of the Nkomazi Local Municipal Council Cllr HV Nyambi and Inkosi of the Kwa-Lugedlane Traditional Council Inkosi Ngomane.
Afrimat Nkomati Anthracite spent R3 800 00 in funding the construction of an additional wing and a total facility upgrade of the clinic.
The Steenbok Clinic offers primary healthcare to local residents and surrounding communities and the necessary upgrades form part of local economic development (LED) projects committed to by Afrimat Nkomati Anthracite to address fundamental needs specified by the community.
This forms part of three LED projects at a combined total of R8 000 000:
• Construction of the Mawewe community hall in Madadeni – completed in July 2022.
• Steenbok Clinic –completed in January 2023.
• Construction of the Skhwahlane community hall – estimated completion date May 2023.
Both community centres will serve as venues for training and development initiatives, traditional events and formal community meetings.
Local company Tsobanang Construction was appointed as the main contractor for the project and Caru Project Management managed it. Local sub-contractors were also afforded the opportunity to provide services for the project.
To ensure local labour got the opportunity to work on the project, 22 people from the community were hired.
Afrimat is genuinely passionate about South Africa and believes in creating value
for its employees, shareholders and the communities in which it operates.
“Both community centres will serve as venues for training and development initiatives, traditional events and formal community meetings.”
AVOID CONCRETE STRENGTH DELAYS.
As winter approaches, the colder ambient temperatures can cause delays in concrete strength development as well as finishing aspects. Rest assured, this challenge can be easily overcome using CHRYSO’s Premia Range of admixtures and demoulding agents.
Covid-19 has accelerated the need for, and the move towards, increased digitalisation across the industry. RS South Africa outlines some of the solutions and trends to look out for
The coronavirus continues to impact every aspect of our lives. Across the industry, widespread factory closures and drastically restricted logistics have meant that downstream manufacturers faced major supply chain disruptions. Many had to shift swiftly to using predominantly online sourcing and procurement services. Suppliers had to fast-track the expansion of their online sales and services. Transportation and logistics became a major challenge for everyone.
Digital transformation
In essence, to tackle the challenges, almost every aspect of business throughout industry globally required some form of additional digital, often disruptive technology. Clearly, businesses which had embraced digital transformation were better positioned to adapt. Since the start, we have seen a significant increase in B2B and B2C business, including e-commerce, not only from existing clients, but also from new and occasional customers.
Supply chains, e-commerce and procurement
Brian Andrew, MD of RS South Africa, says the organisation was ready to respond quickly and decisively to the Covid-19 crisis in 2020. “In the main, we provided continued support to customers worldwide, initially prioritising health and allied services and those working on supplying critical and essential equipment and infrastructure. Supply chain continuity was largely ensured, as the crisis management team was able to plan and act swiftly, shifting inventory around a global network of 14 distribution centres to where it would be most needed. As a single point of service and support with a broad range of over 650 000 stocked electronic and industrial products and solutions, RS was able to continue satisfying customer needs,” he says.
Digital mindset connecting teams RS is a UK-based multi-national company which is also listed on the London Stock Exchange. The company’s strong digital, omni-channel offering was easily expandable to support increased online sales. Through communication and collaboration, purchasing staff had been able to extend support for key customers in essential businesses. By encouraging a digital mindset and connecting teams working remotely, while the distribution centres rapidly adjusted to operating with social distancing and appropriate personal protective equipment, employees were inspired to go the extra mile.
Andrew adds that the key drivers are changing customer expectations, the need for greater efficiency and the realisation that data can be used to spot trends. “Ease of use, artificial intelligence-based
personalisation tools and online realtime sales support have brought us repeat business. Many businesses have suffered financially due to Covid-19 and this has increased the emphasis on improving efficiency,” he says.
Engaging customers through engaging tech E-procurement is a key starting point and demand is growing for tools such as RS PunchOut and RS PurchasingManager®. PunchOut is a tool which integrates into one’s own e-procurement system, giving one quick and easy access to products and one’s purchasing information. PurchasingManager® is a free, webbased order management tool that provides a complementary workflow and spend management system. Customers have found that ease-of-use and process streamlining have produced significant benefits, particularly in terms of cutting costs and increasing staff efficiency.
RS also offers e-ordering and e-invoicing, which are extensively used by some of SA’s largest beverage and automotive manufacturers. These valueadded solutions automate the procurement process for small and medium orders for maintenance, repair and operations products, helping to save valuable production time.
One of the major causes of hesitation in the wider adoption of digital acceleration is the change it engenders in the workplace.
The aim is to shift from manual to digital tasks, remove low-value repetitive jobs and improve employee productivity. Supporting people through this change requires a behavioural shift in re-educating employees throughout the company. The pandemic has demonstrated that dramatic changes in working practices (homeworking, for example) can be made with positive results for all. The key is “test and learn” – making small, evolutionary changes in a structured way. It is about working with people to ensure that the change is having the desired effect.
There is no doubt that digitalisation will cause disruption to processes and major changes to culture and working practices, but Covid-19 has certainly provided us with a painful demonstration of how much greater the cost of disruption could be without it.
“As a single point of service and support with a broad range of over 650 000 stocked electronic and industrial products and solutions, RS was able to continue satisfying customer needs.”(Above): Deep automation can assist precast manufacturers in designing components in segments that optimise transport costs and placement. (Left): Digitising procurement through the supply chain is itself a developing asset for companies in the construction industry supply chain.
When it comes to the dilemma of South African landfills running out of space, all relevant role-players must acknowledge the significant impact of the construction industry.
According to Mpendulo Ginindza, president of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa, many local landfills are filled with construction waste, rather than household waste.
“In spite of the fact that recycling construction waste is more expensive and takes up more space in landfills, in some cases waste service providers don’t pay more to dispose of it. We really need to pay attention to our landfills and find new and different ways to dispose of this kind of rubble,” she says.
Ginindza defines construction waste as rubble, such as broken concrete, ceramics, wood, metals and bricks, while construction debris refers to tiles, plaster, roof material, doors and pipes.
“Construction waste generally consists of materials used to build and then becomes waste during the demolition or renovation of buildings, roads, bridges and other similar structures. It’s all considered debris,” she explains.
She adds that construction waste is heavier, bulkier and takes up more space than other sorts of waste, primarily household waste, which is a significant problem.
Despite the use of modern waste management technologies, Ginindza believes that landfilling is still SA’s most dependable waste management option at the moment. “However, when not properly managed, landfills create a number of health problems for local communities through air pollution, leachate outbreaks, vectors carrying diseases and odorous gas. There are already quite a few landfills that don’t meet the minimum standards. South African waste legislation is adequate; it’s the application and enforcement that seem to be challenges,” she says.
So what do countries that get it right do differently – and how can SA learn from them?
“They have a separate landfill for construction waste and there are re-use options for the debris to reduce what goes to the landfill,” explains Ginindza. “They also have screening or sorting facilities on site. Sorting can be done at the source as well.”
She says SA should focus on both shortand long-term solutions.
“An immediate change would be to separate general waste from construction waste. To create permanent change, role-players need to explore re-use options and then reduce the amount of waste that’s landfilled.”
She adds that while it is true that landfill airspace appears to be decreasing throughout the country, major changes cannot be made to the current waste system. The only real solution would be through consistent and gradual changes.
Technical expertise is the first step
“The first step would be using smart technical knowledge and approaches to maximise airspace. Waste should be diverted for fast, practical gains. This can be done by increasing the efficiency of the current landfill systems, using dynamic compaction techniques, researching different
expansion levels, finding alternate waste diversion methods and choosing appropriate waste-to-resources programmes,” says Ginindza.
She stresses that the construction industry produces a lot of waste and that it needs to recognise that it has a significant role to play in resource management.
“It needs to support the waste industry by fostering the principles of the three Rs: reduce, re-use and recycle,” she says.
“Despite the use of modern waste management technologies, Ginindza asserts that landfilling is still South Africa's most dependable waste management option at the moment.”
A construction site’s assets are the valuable tools and equipment necessary for successful completion of a project. This guide will help you manage them with maximum efficiency to lower costs
In construction management, your assets are indispensable. After all, you cannot efficiently clear a site without a bulldozer, you cannot quickly slice wood without a circular saw and you cannot easily share documents and pictures with stakeholders unless you have a computer.
Assets make a project possible and if you do not manage those assets properly, you risk running into problems that could set your project back or wipe out your profit margins. As anyone in construction project management knows, that happens all the time – and it is never a good feeling.
If you have ever been frustrated by a backhoe that was not available when your team needed it, or an over-expenditure on tools you ultimately did not need, it is time to get a handle on asset management.
Overview: What is construction asset management?
Construction asset management refers to the process of keeping track of equipment, vehicles, computers and facilities on a job site. It is a sub-set of construction resource management, which includes all resources used by a construction firm – not just assets.
Because assets are the driving force behind the activities on a job site, construction managers must manage them efficiently in order to eliminate waste and make sure workers have access to the right assets at the right time. This will prevent cost increases and delays to the construction schedule.
Types of assets in construction
Construction assets come in many shapes and sizes, but they generally have one thing
in common: they are non-consumable objects necessary for the completion of your project.
Construction equipment represents the high-expense assets companies use to do the heavy work on a job site, such as cranes, bulldozers, excavators, backhoes, trenchers, pavers and a host of other specialised equipment, depending on what kind of construction work is being done.
The size, value and fuel usage of these assets make them particularly important to manage.
2. Vehicles
While you might be tempted to lump all wheeled assets in with construction equipment, you should keep vehicles such as cars and trucks separate, particularly if
they are used off the job site for running errands or general transportation.
Once a rare sight in construction, computers are ubiquitous on todayʼs job sites. Whether they are office computers, tablets or even mobile phones and wearable electronics, computers should be managed carefully not only because of their value and importance, but because of cybersecurity concerns.
You may be tempted to skip monitoring every hammer or screwdriver in your arsenal, but if a worker needs a tool to complete a project and has to go looking for it, that is costing you valuable work hours over the life of a project.
By keeping an accurate tool inventory and tracking their usage, you can ensure that your workers have everything they need at the right time. Moreover, some specialised tools are expensive and insured and should be tracked for that reason alone.
Every job site has small facilities to help workers do their jobs, such as trailers, portable toilets and washing stations. These are also assets and should be tracked as part of your asset management plan.
When it comes to managing these resources to maximise efficiency, these five strategies are critical:
Asset management becomes complicated quickly and, considering how important it is to your bottom line, you should use specialised software, rather than relying on spreadsheets.
Todayʼs construction management software uses GPS equipment-tracking to tell you where each asset is, allows workers to clock them in and out, and does many other tasks that would simply be too much for a manager to manually track.
Free asset-tracking software exists, although you will have to do without the more advanced tools.
Assets create an additional challenge that labour, materials and other resources do not, so you need to track their lifespans and plan accordingly. Assets are only useful for a certain time-frame which differs greatly, depending on the type of asset and how gently it is used.
By accurately predicting asset life, you can calculate when new equipment will be necessary. This will help to avoid lag time between when equipment breaks down and when you buy a replacement. It can also prevent safety incidents caused by ageing equipment.
Tip: Factor in total life-cycle costs
in addition to the purchase price. Determine how much fuel the asset will use, how much you will spend monthly on maintenance and any other costs you can think of.
By making an individual responsible for the maintenance and usage of the asset, you will make it easier to track.
If you have a team of three workers who use a backhoe regularly, for example, assign the most senior worker the responsibility of checking fuel levels, keeping up with the maintenance schedule and logging hours. Create a manual on how to do that, or provide access to your software to help them.
Tip : Set up a regular accountability schedule with the designated individual. Make it clear what information you want them to show you, such as usage logs and
“Assets create an additional challenge that labour, materials and other resources do not, so you need to track their lifespans and plan accordingly.”
maintenance events. Follow up and meet with that individual on the assigned dates to ensure that they are tracking equipment and other assets as agreed.
As the construction manager, the buck stops with you. Now that you have assigned people to track your assets and you have drafted a plan that takes lifespan into
account, you should review your assets on a regular basis to determine whether they are being maintained and that they are depreciating at the rate you expected.
If you find irregularities, identify why and whether you need to make changes – either to your process or to your expectations.
Tip: Create a checklist to increase the efficiency of your review. Set aside a couple of hours every few weeks or so to go through that checklist at the job site. Allot some extra time for meetings with the equipment managers, should you come across irregularities.
If you are closely tracking assets and regularly reviewing them, you will notice some things that need changing. Perhaps equipment is declining at a faster rate than expected and there is nothing you can do except adjust your expectations in your next project plan.
Or perhaps equipment is being misplaced too frequently and you need a software platform that does a better job of tracking. Either way, regularly make adjustments and tweak your operations to improve your asset management.
Tip: Set aside a quarterly meeting to review the asset management plan with stakeholders and brainstorm ways of improving it.
A good way of working out how to manage more effectively is by seeing how today's software does it. Give a few construction software options a try and evaluate their asset management tools. See how their equipment tracking system works in monitoring equipment asset resources.
Then evaluate your own processes to identify the differences in your approaches and settle on the methods that work best for you and your business.
MAPEI offers a complete range of high-quality adhesives for ceramic, porcelain and stone materials. MAPEI stays up to date with growing trends and technology within the market, making it the ideal application solution.
The range includes:
• Polymer modified cementitious adhesives
• Deformable cementitious adhesives
• Fast-setting levelling compounds
• Reactive resin polyurethane and epoxy adhesives
• Water repellent cementitious grouts
• Water based epoxy grouts
With the growing popularity and versatility of fibres in concrete, Chryso Southern Africa works with local fibre specialist Oxyfibre to offer customers a professional technical design service, ensuring contractors get the most from this innovative technology.
The use of fibres in concrete dates back to Roman times, but modern fibre technology offers contractors and end-users almost limitless possibilities, which can be brought to life by specialised design service from Chryso and Oxyfibre.
Specialised reinforcement for slabs and precast
Izak Louw, operations manager at Oxyfibre, explains that Chryso® Macro polypropylene fibres compete with conventional steel
mesh as a reinforcement for concrete. As such, these macrofibres are considered structural elements and must pass stringent tests to prove the strength and integrity of their physical properties.
“This creates the basis for us to offer a specialised engineering design service for the application of our macrofibres, not only for ground-supported slabs, but also for precast concrete,” says Louw. “We use the customer’s data on loadings, ground conditions and the kind of activities that will be carried out on the concrete surface, such as rolling loads and racking loads.”
Chryso has been the official distributor for Oxyfibre since 2016, with the two firms having built a strong working relationship over many years before that. Oxyfibre makes available both microfibres and macrofibres supplied by Adfil Construction Fibres, which Oxyfibre represents in sub-Saharan Africa. Adfil bases its manufacturing facilities –as well as its research and development laboratory – in Belgium.
“Most of our customised fibre designs relate to civil engineering applications, such as roads and industrial slabs,” says Louw. “However, we also provide the design service in smaller contracts for driveways, residential homes and requirements on farms.”
Working closely with Chryso, the Oxyfibre engineering team considers the customer’s needs and provides feedback on aspects
such as fibre dosage, the size of saw-cuts on a slab and the optimal thickness of the concrete. A good example of the fibre design offering was for a building project where the contractor needed an innovative solution.
“The building had a large number of service conduits to be installed between the hollow core planks and the structural topping,” says Louw. “It was clear that there wouldn’t be enough space to use conventional steel mesh reinforcement.”
The contractor asked Chryso and Oxyfibre to find a solution that would allow space to install the service conduits and prevent cracking of the topping’s surface. The use of macrofibres did the trick, also saving time and the expense of placing steel mesh reinforcement. Moreover, the fibres could be added to the concrete mix at the ready-mix plant, so there was no need for storage or mixing in of fibres on site.
“With our tailored design service, we work closely with the customer to supply the required calculations and technical specifications,” says Louw. “We also produce a detailed commercial proposal that sets out the benefits of Chryso® Macrofibres; our service comes with professional indemnity.”
“The use of fibres in concrete dates back to Roman times, but modern fibre technology offers contractors and endusers almost limitless possibilities.”(Above): Chryso® Macro polypropylene fibres serve as an alternative to steel mesh reinforcement in concrete.
Durban-based Hawk Pumps specialises in the production of high-pressure cleaning equipment and accessories, offering a wide range of heavy-duty drain, tube and sewer nozzles.
Director Gavin Pote explains that these nozzles are specifically designed for use in drain-cleaning applications, using high-pressure water flow and powerful cleaning capabilities. “The nozzles are available in a range of sizes and models, with different flow rates and pressure levels to suit different drain-cleaning needs. Knowing which nozzle to use for your blockage is essential,” he says.
Static (bomb) nozzles are best used for clearing blockages and greasy deposits lining pipes in drain- and sewer-cleaning. They are egg-shaped, giving them their moniker of “bomb” nozzles. A hose is attached to the back end and a solid stream jet fitted to the front. Three to six solid stream jets surround the hose, facing backwards and outwards, in a cone pattern. Bomb nozzles are used in pipes from 40mm diameter domestic pipes (using 15l/min pumps) to 900mm stormwater ones (200+l/min) at pressures of up to 200bar.
The reaction of the rear jets pulls the hose through the blocked pipe, while the front jet cuts into any blockage, allowing the bomb to pass through. Once through, the rear jets force the offending material to disintegrate and wash out of the pipe. At the same time, the rear jets wash greasy deposits from the interior walls of the pipe, as is typically the situation in hotels, restaurants and hospitals.
The bomb nozzles have been used with
great success in many cases, including for eThekwini Municipality in clearing stormwater drains and blockages.
Flat nozzles are most often used for removing sand from stormwater drains. They have a row of solid stream jets in the rear which push the nozzle along the bottom of the drain until it reaches the sand blockage. The wedge shape rides up the sand, allowing the rear jets to fluidise the sand and wash it backwards.
Spinning nozzles are most commonly used to clean tubes in heat exchangers, such as in boiler tubes. Where there is scale build-up in these systems, the heat transfer becomes inefficient, which can lead to higher energy use and poor performance. Spinner nozzles are effective at removing scale from the interior of pipes, as the barrel of the nozzle spins at a high velocity, pumping water from sideways- and backward-facing holes. This washes the debris backwards. Spinning nozzles come in many variations, each suited to a different system.
One of the key advantages of Hawk Pumps’ nozzles is their versatility. These nozzles can be used to clean a wide range of drains, including kitchen sinks, toilets and sewers. They can also be used to remove blockages and debris in pipes and other drain systems. In addition to drain-cleaning, Hawk has a range of nozzles for different high-pressure cleaning applications, such as cleaning surfaces and equipment, as well as graffiti removal.
“Where there is scale build-up in these systems, the heat transfer becomes inefficient, which can lead to higher energy use and poor performance.”
Strong and steady sets the pace for constructive progress on the road ahead as we build the future from the ground up. Lay steadfast foundations with leading quality cement produced on Africa’s beautiful playground.
With only 450 of the estimated 350 000 buildings able to meet the 7 December deadline to display Energy Performance Certificates, Mineral Resources & Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe was compelled to grant a three-year extension, with the proviso that building-owners register the type and size of a building and its energy performance within 12 months with the SA National Energy Development Institute. This collective failure belies the many dynamic initiatives, innovations and adaptations pulsing through our construction industry, as the revitalising benefits of finding creative sustainable solutions are realised by an increasing majority.
A fresh look at an ancient ally Claybrick is proving to many sceptics in our built environment that sustainable construction is far from the rejection of the materials, methods and systems that have contributed so much to the world. Far from it. Sustainability has driven the research, studies, testing and innovation, revealing the many benefits of this ancient building material and driving its use in increasingly diverse and new ways.
Revitalised with a fresh perspective, Claybrick is surprising both committed environmentalists and builders alike with new demand for its products coming from highly diverse markets. From off-grid living enthusiasts to commercial property developers, clay brick is hot property.
Clay brick at the cutting edge Johannesburg’s Sandton metropole concentrates the energy, wealth, power and diversity of Africa into a mighty, tight space. Forever transforming, its current developments are especially compelling, less for its new buildings than for the significance of what is happening to its older structures.
BlackBrick Sandton is a recently-completed conversion that embodies the ethos of sustainability on a scale that integrates
sustainability in just about every aspect of modern living. Its façade screams “visibility” – and clay brick was the sustainable solution – achieving far more than this aesthetic demand by bringing its unique mix of thermal properties, adaptive manufacturing advantages and reliable, low-carbon proximity of supply to this ambitious project.
Transforming the older office block into a blend of comfortable living spaces, workspaces and communityfostering facilities leads the growing trend for sustainable, mixed-use lifestyle developments. Designed using the “vertical village” concept, the building’s façade posed serious challenges in terms of both structural demands and the demands of a future-centric, sustainable vision.
Federale Stene, the manufacturer
and supplier of the clay brick product meeting these demands, has embedded the principles of sustainable energy-efficiency into its manufacturing processes, as well as its sourcing of natural, raw materials.
As the company explains: “Sustainably designed buildings are energy- and resource-efficient and serve the longterm economic, social and environmental needs of communities. Clay brick masonry demonstrates all these qualities during construction, throughout its long operational life.”
Not only are these bricks made from a highly durable natural material that offers an exceptional lifespan, but the clay from which they are made is also naturally insulating. “Clay bricks are thermal batteries, using energy from the sun to provide natural thermal efficiency, reducing the need for electricity-guzzling air-conditioners, heaters and humidifiers,” explains the company.
Benefits of building with clay bricks
• Durable building material.
• Protection against major weather conditions.
• Aesthetically pleasing.
• Manages insulation well.
• Sustainable green building material.
• Low maintenance.
• Made from natural, raw materials.
• Energy-efficient.
• Low carbon footprint.
“Johannesburg’s Sandton metropole concentrates the energy, wealth, power and diversity of Africa into a mighty, tight space.”(Above): The thermal properties of the brick are particularly well suited to this climate, significantly reducing energy demand from heating and cooling.
The use of a diesel generator in a brick-making plant is essential to ensure a sustainable and efficient power output. The correct size generator must be selected in order to meet the power requirements of the plant, as well as ensure a safe and reliable operation.
The power output needed will depend on the size of the plant, the number of machines and equipment in use, and the overall energy consumption of the facility. A generator that is too small will not be able to provide the necessary power, leading to downtime and decreased productivity. On the other hand, a generator that is too large will result in unnecessary costs and wasted energy.
Other important factors to consider when selecting a diesel generator include the fuel consumption, noise level and overall emissions. A generator that is fuel-efficient and has low emissions will help to reduce costs and minimise the environmental impact of the brick-making plant. The noise level can have an impact on the working environment and the surrounding community.
It is also important to consider the overall lifespan of the diesel generator and the cost of maintenance. A generator that is well-
maintained and has a longer lifespan will be more cost-effective in the long run. This will also decrease the number of maintenance and repair costs.
Revaro silent-type diesel generators have all these benefits and more. The enclosed casing reduces noise. From 30-400kVA, the reliable Ricardo engine keeps smaller brick machines and plants running, while from 500-2 500kVA, the powerful and trusted Cummins engine will ensure that productivity of medium to large brick-making plants do not miss a beat.
Below are a few guidelines of the power output needed for Revaro brick-making machines.
Revaro REL range egg-layers do not require power, as they are either manual or come with a diesel motor. A single-phase electric motor option is available as well.
RS range ± 75kVA (75-100kVa)
RE medium range ± 200kVA (200-400kVa)
RE large range ± 500kva (500-1 000kVa)
One of the big contributors to climate change is right beneath your feet and transforming it could be a powerful solution for keeping greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.
The production of cement, the binding element in concrete, accounted for 7% of total global carbon dioxide emissions in 2018. Concrete is one of the most-used resources on earth, with an estimated 26 billion tons produced annually worldwide. That production is not expected to slow down for at least two more decades.
Given the scale of the industry and its greenhouse gas emissions, technologies that can reinvent concrete could have profound impacts on climate change.
As engineers working on issues involving infrastructure and construction, we have been designing the next generation of concrete technology that can reduce infrastructure’s carbon footprint and increase durability. That includes CO₂-infused concrete that locks up the greenhouse gas and can be stronger and even bendable.
The industry is ripe for dramatic change, particularly with the Biden administration promising to invest signifi -
cantly in infrastructure projects and cut US emissions at the same time. However, to put CO₂ to work in concrete on a wide scale in a way that drastically cuts emissions, all of its related emissions must be taken into account.
Concrete is made up of aggregate materials – primarily rocks and sand – along with cement and water. Since about 80% of concrete’s carbon footprint comes from cement, researchers have been working to find substitute materials.
Industrial by-products such as iron slag and coal fly-ash are now frequently used to reduce the amount of cement needed. The resulting concrete can have significantly lower emissions because of that change. Alternative binders, such as
limestone calcined clay, can also reduce cement use. One study found that using limestone and calcinated clay could reduce emissions by at least 20%, while also cutting production costs.
Apart from developing blended cements, researchers and companies are focusing on ways to use captured CO₂ as an ingredient in the concrete itself, locking it away and preventing it from entering the atmosphere. CO₂ can be added in the form of aggregates or injected during mixing. Carbonation curing, also known as CO₂ curing, can also be used after concrete has been cast.
These processes turn CO₂ from a gas to a mineral, creating solid carbonates
that may also improve the strength of concrete. This means that structures may need less cement, reducing the amount of related emissions. Companies such as CarbonCure and Solidia have developed technologies to use these processes for concrete poured at construction sites and in precast concrete, such as cinder blocks and other construction materials.
The University of Michigan is working on composites that produce a bendable concrete material which allows thinner, less brittle structures requiring less steel reinforcement, further reducing related carbon emissions. The material can be engineered to maximise the amount of CO₂ it can store by using smaller particles that readily react with CO₂, turning it to mineral.
The CO₂-based bendable concrete can be used for general buildings, water and energy infrastructure, as well as transportation infrastructure. Bendable concrete was used in the 61-storey Kitahama tower in Osaka, Japan and roadway bridge slabs in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
These cutting-edge technologies can start addressing concrete infrastructure’s carbon footprint, but barriers still exist.
In a study published in 2021, three of us looked at the life-cycle emissions from infusing CO₂ into concrete and found that estimates did not always account for
emissions from CO₂ capture, transportation and use. With colleagues, we came up with strategies for ensuring that carbon curing has a strong emissions benefit.
Overall, we recommend developing a standard CO₂ curing protocol. Laboratory experiments show that CO₂ curing can improve concrete’s strength and durability, but results vary with specific curing procedures and concrete mixes. Research can improve the conditions and the timing of steps in the curing process to increase concrete’s performance. Electricity use –the largest emission source during curing – can also be reduced by streamlining the process and possibly by using waste heat.
Advanced concrete mixes, particularly bendable concrete, have already begun to address these issues by increasing durability.
In 2020, a wide range of companies announced steps to reduce their emissions. However, government investment and procurement policies are still needed to transform the construction industry.
Local governments are taking the first steps. “Low-embodied carbon concrete” rules and projects to reduce the amount of cement in concrete have cropped up around the USA, including in Marin County, California, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York and a sidewalk pilot in Portland, Oregon.
In New York and New Jersey, lawmakers have proposed state-level policies that would provide price discounts in the bidding process to proposals with the lowest emissions from concrete. These policies could serve as a blueprint for reducing carbon emissions from concrete production and other building materials.
Nationally, the crumbling of federally managed infrastructure has been a steadily growing crisis. The Biden administration has tried to address those problems, as well as climate change, and create jobs through a strategic infrastructure programme.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg declared in 2021 that there were “enormous opportunities for job creation, equity and climate achievement” when it came to advancing America’s infrastructure. Policies that elevate lowcarbon concrete to a nationwide climate solution could follow.
“Apart from developing blended cements, researchers and companies are focusing on ways to use captured CO2 as an ingredient in the concrete itself, locking it away and preventing it from entering the atmosphere.”
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN THE CONCRETE INDUSTRY STARTS WITH MAP PRODUCTS.
• Precast concrete plasticising admixtures
• Ready-mixed concrete plasticising admixtures
• Extended workability polymers
• Set retarding admixtures
• Hardening accelerators
• Viscosity modifying admixtures
• Form release agents
• Synthetic fibres
• Pozzolan-activity mineral additions
• Permeability-reducing admixtures
• Water-repelling admixtures
• Anti-washout admixtures
• Expanding agents
• Drying shrinkage-reducing admixtures
• Clay mitigating admixtures
• Pumping aides
yolandamtshawu@dmgevents.com
• Air entraining and foaming agents
AFRISAM www.afrisam.co.za debbie.harvey@za.afrisam.com
Learn more at mapei.co.za
Tel: +27 11 552 8476
Email: info@mapei.co.za
• Concrete rescue packs
• Evaporation-retarding admixtures
RMCS
www.cemcon-sa.org.zaCEMENT & CONCRETE INSTITUTE www.cemcon-sa.org.za hanlie.turner@cemcon-sa.org.za
011 315 0300
CEMZA www.cemza.co sales@cemza.co
PAN MIXERS SA www.panmixers.co.za quintin@panmixers.co.za 011 578 8600
SEPHAKU CEMENT www.sephakucement.co.za MMlotshwa@sepcem.co.za
TECHNICRETE www.technicrete.co.za info@technicrete.co.za 011 674 6900
CALL US ON 0861 32 42 52
TWINSTAR www.twinstar.co.za
Annemerie@Twinstar.co.za 012 670 9083
REVARO www.revaro.co.za michelle.momberg@revaro.co.za 011 794 8271
